Visa Overstay Crisis: A Call for Reform

Over 7,000 Indian students overstayed in the US in 2023, prompting calls for immigration policy reforms. Expert Jessica M Vaughan highlighted high overstay rates and suggested changes to H-1B visa policies. She urged limiting specialty occupation visas and strengthening interior enforcement to boost American worker opportunities.

Over 7,000 student and exchange visitors from India overstayed their visas in the United States in 2023, escalating the need for urgent immigration policy reform. Expert testimony before US lawmakers emphasized the pressing need for changes, particularly concerning H-1B visa regulations.

Jessica M Vaughan, representing the Center for Immigration Studies, outlined the systemic issues contributing to overstay rates during a hearing before the US House Committee on the Judiciary. Vaughan reported that 32 countries have student/exchange visitor overstay rates exceeding 20 percent. The F and M visa categories have been identified as having the highest overstay rates.

Addressing H-1B visa allocations, Vaughan recommended a cap of 75,000 visas, stressing that they should favor high-paying employers as a gauge for skilled workers. She also highlighted the importance of closing loopholes that staffing firms exploit to replace American workers with lower-cost foreign labor.

(With inputs from agencies.)